Clay County, Arkansas: hazard risk
FEMA rates Clay County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 71.6 of 100, higher than 71% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by drought, ice storm. Its storm record holds 572 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively High | 96.0 | $2.1M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 93.6 | $931K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 93.9 | $7.6M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 82.8 | $1.2M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 81.1 | $2.7M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 80.2 | $498K |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 71.1 | $1.8M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 68.4 | $84K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 51.7 | $396K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 40.0 | $3.3M |
| Landslide | Very Low | 51.4 | $1K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 49.8 | $50K |
| Hail | Very Low | 28.9 | $77K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 6.1 | $1K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 163 | 0 | $4.3M | 43rd of 75 | 1482nd of 3,080 |
| Heat | 113 | 0 | – | 7th of 75 | 138th of 3,076 |
| Hail | 110 | 0 | $905K | 56th of 75 | 1497th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 66 | 1 | $5.6M | 21st of 75 | 1471st of 3,077 |
| Floods | 37 | 1 | $8.8M | 56th of 75 | 1505th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 30 | 0 | – | 18th of 75 | 1012th of 3,063 |
| Tornadoes | 27 | 2 | $27M | 53rd of 75 | 1473rd of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 13 | 0 | $428K | 3rd of 75 | 1126th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 8 | 0 | $170K | 35th of 75 | 2289th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | – | 47th of 75 | 1631st of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 2 | 1 | $19K | 50th of 75 | 1587th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 0 | $170K | 61st of 75 | 965th of 1,849 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Clay County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.